# I hate the term "chops" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 5, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060 "2002-09-05T01:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/1 "2002-09-05T01:40:13Z")
When referring to someone’s musical ability. I really do. Why not just say they play well? “Chops” makes my skin crawl. It’s a stupid term and everyone must stop using it. Thank You. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/2 "2002-09-05T03:54:34Z")
acting too! where the hell did that come from? I wouldn’t use the term if you paid me. when others use it, i just think small town wannabe star. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/3 "2002-09-05T07:10:16Z")
Personally, I hate the expression ‘chop-chop’ (for ‘do it quickly’). My wife picked up this expression somewhere and it’s really pissing me off. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/4 "2002-09-05T07:22:34Z")
O.K., from now on, instead of saying a guy’s got chops, we will say “That cat’s a motherfucker”. (I hope this post is good - I’m still working on my Pit chops). ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/5 "2002-09-05T08:14:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quintas \* > \*\*When referring to someone’s musical ability. I really do. Why not just say they play well? “Chops” makes my skin crawl. It’s a stupid term and everyone must stop using it. Thank You. \*\* You must be a youngster, or not familiar with jazz. “Man, you got some chops” is high praise to a musician, especially if he/she learned to play when you could still make music with the electricity off. Anyway, if you don’t like the term, don’t use it. Who made you the “terminology monitor” anyway? Yeah, I know this is the Pit, but this rant doesn’t exactly stir the viscera. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/6 "2002-09-05T08:29:59Z")
I really like pork chops. Is that okay? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/7 "2002-09-05T09:52:38Z")
mmmmmm, pork chops ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/8 "2002-09-05T13:13:51Z")
Mmmm…[muttonchops…](http://www.jackmanslanding.com/gallery/film-stage-tv/x-men/cigar.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/9 "2002-09-05T14:21:30Z")
DG, thanks for chiming in. Until you posted, I had no clue to what the OP was referring. ---
**Author:** ![KozGuitar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/87869e/32.png) [@KozGuitar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KozGuitar)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/10 "2002-09-05T18:07:23Z")
I’m not a wind musician, so someone correct me if I’m totally wrong… My high school music teacher played trumpet. (I’d link to an article the local newspaper just did about him but I guess they don’t put that stuff online…) I distinctly recall him explaining to the kids playing trumpet, and perhaps other brass instruments, to “use their chops” a certain way, or do something with their chops as opposed to using the valve… Or that after playing for a long time his chops might hurt. I took from this that “chops” literally meant lips or mouth, so that if someone said “Maynard Fergusons got some chops” they’re complementing a physical attribute, as well as the musical talent. Or am I just nuts? ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/11 "2002-09-05T18:38:00Z")
Im not a youngster, I AM quite familiar and fond of jazz. I realise it’s a compliment, I just really dislike the term. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/12 "2002-09-05T19:12:09Z")
Here you go… [Chops](http://www.word-detective.com/back-b.html). “‘Chops’ in this case probably harks back to its original 16th century slang meaning of ‘mouth’ or ‘lips,’ a ‘bust in the chops’ being the equivalent of a punch in the mouth.” “Chops” for “mouth” or “lips” has been around for over 400 years, apparently, so I’m pretty sure your dislike is not going to make much impact. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/13 "2002-09-05T19:29:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\*Mmmm…[muttonchops…](http://www.jackmanslanding.com/gallery/film-stage-tv/x-men/cigar.jpg) \*\* Mutton bearers would fear that guy. Hell, I do myself. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/14 "2002-09-05T21:43:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KozGuitar \* > I’m not a wind musician, so someone correct me if I’m totally wrong… > > My high school music teacher played trumpet. (I’d link to an article the local newspaper just did about him but I guess they don’t put that stuff online…) > > I distinctly recall him explaining to the kids playing trumpet, and perhaps other brass instruments, to “use their chops” a certain way, or do something with their chops as opposed to using the valve… Or that after playing for a long time his chops might hurt. I took from this that “chops” literally meant lips or mouth, so that if someone said “Maynard Fergusons got some chops” they’re complementing a physical attribute, as well as the musical talent. > > Or am I just nuts? _Literally_, it means “lips”, but if you say someone “has chops”, you are referring to their ability, not the size of their lips. In fact, it has become such a widespread term, that it’s used for ANY musician, not just brass players. It wouldn’t be unusual for me to say you have Guitar chops. For the most part, everyone has the muscles needed to successfully play a brass instrument; it’s just a matter of building them up and training them. It’s not like Maynard was born with unusual lips or anything - It’s just that he had talent and was willing to put in some practice time. But if you say something like: “Man, my chops are beat”, then you ARE literally referring to your lips. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/15 "2002-09-06T01:40:20Z")
Hey, **Quintas** was just voicing his opinion, don’t bust his chops! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/16 "2002-09-06T06:35:41Z")
Ooo, too much playing today. I totally blew my chops. **Quintas** , there is a thread in IMHO (or maybe MPSIMS) about words in the English language one hates for some reason. That sounds like the place you might want to voice your opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/17 "2002-09-06T07:22:59Z")
But did everybody like the movie “CHOMPS”? That’s the real question. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/18 "2002-09-08T23:06:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\*But did everybody like the movie “CHOMPS”? That’s the real question. \*\* No, but I sat through part of C.H.U.D. Does that count?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/19 "2002-09-09T16:21:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*Personally, I hate the expression ‘chop-chop’ (for ‘do it quickly’). My wife picked up this expression somewhere and it’s really pissing me off. \*\* “chop-chop” is pidgin (simplified speech used by the British to comunicate with Eastern Asians during their imperialist era.) It evolved from the Cantonese _kap_, meaning fast. Also, in case you were wondering, “pidgin” is a corruption of “business” and thus “pidgin English” is “business English” - a simple way for the two cultures to communicate in matters of basic commerce. ---
**Author:** ![crazy4chaucer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@crazy4chaucer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazy4chaucer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060/20 "2002-09-09T19:34:39Z")
Gimme some pork chops! Chop-chop! Oops, uh, I mean, yeah. Vite! Vite! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-term-chops/127060.md?page=2)